31st Annual APRA Award Winners

31st Annual APRA Award Winners were announced at a star studded event tonight at The Plenary, Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre. With australian television legend and special guest presenter Bert Newton awarding The Seekers with the prestigious Ted Albert Award For Outstanding Services To Australian Music. With a well deserved standing ovation, the award was accepted by Keith Potger, Bruce Woodley and Athol Guy. Singer Judith Durham was not well enough to attend, as she continues her recovery following a brain haemorrhage in May midway through The Seekers 50th Anniversary "Golden Jubilee" tour. Keith Potger said Durham was in good spirits and she was expected to be in hospital for several more weeks.

The night was hosted by the lovely Clare Bowditch and the cheeky Jonathan Biggins but also featured special presenters Wally De Backer AKA Gotye, Jenny Morris, Suffa, Debris and Pressure from Hilltop Hoods and entrepreneur heavyweight, Michael Gudinski.

The biggest winners of the night was Timomatic, whose real name is Tim Omaji, winning two awards and Sia who won the Songwriter Of The Year award but also featured in Urban Song Of The Year winner's award by Hilltop Hoods. Sia has collaborated with many millon selling artists from Christina Aguilera, Rihanna, Flo Rida and David Guetta.

Tame Impala has taken home Song Of The Year with 'Feels Like We Only Go Backwards'. Other award winners include Ash Gundwald, 360, The McClymonts, The Rubens, Hilltop Hoods, Feenixpawl & Ivan Gough, Carly Rae Jepsen and of course (as expected), Gotye.

Their were numerous showcase performances during the night. To get the show on the road, 20 year female singer from Perth, Georgi Kay and Robert Conley paid musical tribute to the late Chrissy Amphlett with a rocking cover of the Divinyls classic ‘Boys In Town’. Lior with Gian Slater and Invenio (choir) paid homage to The Seekers with their version of ‘I’ll Never Find Another You’.

In keeping with the well known tradition, the following artists did covers and reinterpretations of all of the songs nominated in the prestigious Song Of The Year category. Architecture in Helsinki performed a reggae cover of Tame Impala's 'Only Going Backwards'. British India covered Courtney Barnett’s ‘History Eraser’. Abbe May, Spiderbait's Kram and Sam Ford played a stomping version of Tame Impala’s ‘Elephant.’ Ball Park Music performed Mia Dyson’s ‘When The Moment Comes’. Jessica Mauboy performed ‘Get Along'. The popular song by her good friend Guy Sebastian.